Spirituality and Willingness to Participate in Health-Related Research Among African Americans.

African Americans remain underrepresented in health-related research. We examined the association between spirituality using the Self-Rating Spirituality Scale (range 6-24) and self-reported willingness to participate in health-related research studies among African Americans. Covariates included gender, education level, employment status, and previous research experience. Adjusted associations were calculated with logistic regression models, with multiple imputation to account for missing data. Results from the logistic regression model show that each one-point increase in the Self-Rating Spirituality Scale was associated with a 24% increase in the odds of being very likely to participate in research (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.07-1.44). Those with less than a college degree (OR: 3.59, 95% CI: 1.51-8.54), who were unemployed (OR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.03-5.33), and had previous research experience (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.22-6.99) reported increased willingness to participate. This work offers new insight for developing recruitment initiatives within African American spiritual communities.

Psychometric Development of the Research and Knowledge Scale.

BACKGROUND: Many research participants are misinformed about research terms, procedures, and goals; however, no validated instruments exist to assess individual's comprehension of health-related research information. We propose research literacy as a concept that incorporates understanding about the purpose and nature of research. OBJECTIVES: We developed the Research and Knowledge Scale (RaKS) to measure research literacy in a culturally, literacy-sensitive manner. We describe its development and psychometric properties. RESEARCH DESIGN: Qualitative methods were used to assess perspectives of research participants and researchers. Literature and informed consent reviews were conducted to develop initial items. These data were used to develop initial domains and items of the RaKS, and expert panel reviews and cognitive pretesting were done to refine the scale. We conducted psychometric analyses to evaluate the scale. SUBJECTS: The cross-sectional survey was administered to a purposive community-based sample (n=430) using a Web-based data collection system and paper. MEASURES: We did classic theory testing on individual items and assessed test-retest reliability and Kuder-Richardson-20 for internal consistency. We conducted exploratory factor analysis and analysis of variance to assess differences in mean research literacy scores in sociodemographic subgroups. RESULTS: The RaKS is comprised of 16 items, with a Kuder-Richardson-20 estimate of 0.81 and test-retest reliability 0.84. There were differences in mean scale scores by race/ethnicity, age, education, income, and health literacy (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the RaKS. This scale can be used to measure research participants' understanding about health-related research processes and identify areas to improve informed decision-making about research participation.

On Edge: the impact of race-related vigilance on obesity status in African-Americans.

OBJECTIVE: Nearly half of African-Americans are classified as obese. Perceived racism has been associated with obesity, yet the internal experiences of racism have received little attention. African Americans who face racism may "ready themselves" to cope through survival strategies, including race-related vigilance. This study explores the association between race-related vigilance and obesity in African Americans. DESIGN AND METHODS: The Reactions to Race module of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (years 2002-2010) was used. Our sample size consisted of 12,214 African-Americans. Race-related vigilance was assessed as: "How often do you think about your race?" and classified as: never, < daily, daily, and > daily. Obesity was dichotomized as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 vs. < 30 kg/m2 using self-reported weight and height. Multivariable logistic models assessed the association between race-related vigilance and obesity. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of respondents reported thinking about their race > daily; 14% daily; 31% < daily, and 39% reported never thinking about their race. Compared to those who reported never thinking about their race, the adjusted odds of obesity were 0.91, 95% CI: 0.72-1.15 among those thinking about their race daily. CONCLUSIONS: Frequently thinking about one's race was a risk factor for obesity in African-Americans in this study. Internalized impacts of racism captured through race-related vigilance may be particularly detrimental to African-Americans, driving their risk for obesity.